With the end of summer, it is time to prepare for winter. One of the most common problems through much of the US is snowstorms. We even had one a couple years back in Atlanta, GA that created a huge traffic mess. Two inches of snow in an area where nobody owns snow tires is unhealthy. If you are unfortunate enough to be out in your car when a severe snowstorm hits, you may have a bad day. All it takes to stop you from getting home is for someone else to get stuck in the snow ahead of you, or if the road is multi-lane, a for few people to get stuck, going uphill on a slippery slope. ☹ Much as I like Jeeps with 4-wheel drive, they don’t prevent the other guy from getting stuck.
Here in the Peoples Republic of New Jersey we get snow. It isn’t as bad as some places, but if we get hit worse than normal it will screw up traffic. Actually, just about anything screws up traffic, but today we’re discussing blizzards. As a result, despite owning a Jeep, one can find oneself stuck behind two Beemers who aren’t going anywhere in the snow. If the Beemers are having a really bad day, they’ll collide with each other. Imagine two guys in suits, loafers, driving Beemers, and they collide in a snowstorm. Would you want to be stuck behind these characters?
Once the road gets blocked, you’ve got a choice: Start walking, . . . in a snowstorm, or sit for awhile. Of course, if you aren’t prepared that will be a short while before you need to go for food, water, warmth, etc. dressed in a suit, and wearing a pair of loafers. Yuch! You’ll probably survive the experience and maybe even keep all of your toes.
By now you’ve probably figured out that you need some supplies in your car. This is where that GHB, BOB, or whatever you want to call it, really comes in handy. If you have some clothing to keep warm, a supply of water, and a bit of food, then you can wait much longer than the average driver stuck in the same traffic jam. I keep a complete change of clothes, from the skin out, in the car. I start with long underwear. A quality set of long underwear will dramatically change your ability to retain heat. Rugged cold weather outerwear, and a good set of boots, will make you more comfortable, whether you choose to stay with your car or hoof it out. I feel more comfortable already just thinking about it. 😊
Next, some calories will help your body generate heat. 😊 If you have read some of my earlier posts, you know that I am a fan of food bars. I’ve tried Datrex, MayDay, and Millenium bars. They vary a bit in taste, cost, availability, etc. but all of them are great for tossing into a bag that will sit in the trunk of your car for a couple years. They don’t require utensils or a mess kit. You aren’t going to live on these long-term. You’re just trying to be comfortable until you can get out of the blizzard induced traffic jam.
Having gotten into warm clothes, eaten a high calorie snack, and perhaps taken care of some other chores, you now have to decide whether to stick with the car, or hoof it out. This decision will largely be driven by where you are vs. where you want to go. 30 miles from home, I’d stick with the car until TPTB remove the blockage, or at least the snow stops. A block from home, why not just go home and return later, especially if you can get your car onto the shoulder of the road?
Assuming you are staying with the car, it is really nice if you have an SUV and can fold down the back seat (another plus for Jeep Grand Cherokees). You now pull out a sleeping bag, or at least a bivy sack, from the bag you keep in the car and take a nap. Of course, if you wake up and find your car sufficiently buried, you may still have to hoof it out, but you’ll be much more comfortable than the Beemer driver in the loafers. For information, tune in the Weather channel on the little radio you carry in the bag. 😊 Call your family and let them know you are safe, but not to try to come get you, because more people stuck in the storm just makes the problem worse.
For some reason, these traffic jams all seem to happen during the evening rush. In the mornings, I think people just decide it is a good day to play hooky. As a result, I see myself spending a comfortable night in warm clothes and a sleeping bag in the back of the SUV, and hoofing it out the next morning. Hopefully, the storm will have passed and you’ll now be looking at a sunny day with snow on the ground rather than a night time white out.
The first thing to do, now that the storm is over, is check the front of the jam. Is there any activity going on to remove the Beemers? If so, that may affect your decision. If you’re on a major thoroughfare, there is a good chance that crews will be in the process of removing the blockage, though many of the cars behind the blockage will now be abandoned by folks forced to walk away. You can now watch the action, offer to help, go back and start shoveling around your own car, (You do have a shovel in the car don’t you?) or simply ask how long the crew thinks it will take.
Eventually the blockage will be cleared and you can head home.
Remember, don’t eat the yellow snow! 😊